3. Blue Ridge Parkway,

and a drive through the Smokies

Day 5 - Thursday, June 22, 2000

There were thunderstorms during the night and it drizzled when I first woke up around 6 AM. Decided to go back to sleep, hoping that the weather would improve. It did - a little. Had a lengthy shower in the comfortable bathhouse, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Was on the road by 9:45 AM, headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

When I got there the drizzle stopped, but clouds remained. Fortunately, they did not obscure the lovely vistas from the Parkway.

Left the Parkway and followed the signs to Natural Bridge, one of the seven natural wonders of the world (the others being Niagara Falls, the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, the Garden of the Gods in Colorado, the Blue Grotto on the isle of Capri, Yellowstone Park, and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska.)

The bridge and 157 acres of land around it were acquired by Thomas Jefferson in 1774 and have been privately owned since then. While the commercial enterprises (from mini-golf to huge souvenir shop to wax museum) that surround it contribute an element of kitsch, sight of the bridge itself confirms Thomas Jefferson's description:

"It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here; so beautiful in arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were up to Heaven, the rapture of the spectator is really indescribable!"

The bridge is also a "working" bridge - US 11, which I took next, leads right over it. Followed US 11 to the very pretty SR 43 to Bedford, SR 122 and SR 40 (both have very scenic stretches) to Woolwine, and SR 8 and SR. 57 to the Fairy Stone State Park.

The park is worth a visit. The campsites are level, paved, very clean, and semi-private.There are bike trails, hiking trails, scenic overlooks, a playground, abandoned mines, boating, swimming, many ranger programs for children and adults, and a lake. $15 got me a site with water and electricity. Unfortunately, the bathhouse looks a bit shabby and wasn't as clean as I had hoped. Based on my observations at more than 100 campgrounds I have come to the conclusion that there is an inverse relationship between the number of tent campers and the cleanliness of the bathhouse. I don't mean to "profile" - I think it's just that RVers, perhaps because they tend to be "older," are more inclined to clean up after themselves so that the next user will find the bathhouse to be as clean as it was before. The "leave no traces" approach of us older folks.

The sun came out in the late afternoon and it was pleasant to sit at the picnic table and enjoy a dinner consisting of a cheeseburger and fresh strawberries.

Drove 200 miles and was on the road for 7 1/2 hours.

Day 6 - Friday, June 23, 2000

Spent the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway - about 280 miles and 8 hours of pleasant driving. This was probably a mistake, since even the most atractive scenery can get repetitive and even boring after a while. Certainly, the Parkway is beautiful - much more scenic than, say, the Natchez Trace. But after a while the views from the many overlooks start to look alike, and are less appreciated. One probably would enjoy the Drive more if one would do only one 2 hour section at a time.

Jumped off near Fancy Gap to purchase gasoline at $1.499/gal. Only got 15 miles to the gallon on the last tank.

After bypassing Asheville found my way to the Lake Powhatan NPS campground - a beautiful spot not far off the Blue Ridge Parkway. A wealth of recreational opportunities are offered, the sites are level and semi-private, and the price is right. I was assigned a spot without hook-ups, $14 less 50% Golden Age discount. While my loop does not have a bathhouse with showers, others do.

The sun had come out mid-day and raised the morning temperature of 61F to over 90F. But the low humidity, combined with a refreshing breeze, made for a pleasant evening. Grilled dinner and ate strawberries outdoors. I think one of the characteristics of traveling in a camper like the Westy is that one tends to live out of the van rather than live in the motor home.

Day 7 - Saturday, June 24, 2000

Woke up at 6:00 AM to a mostly clear blue sky and a temperature of 57F. Turned on the heat and crawled back into the sleeping bag for another hour of sleep. Washed up in the van - the water heater is a luxury I wouldn't want to do without. Had a big breakfast, refilled the water tank, and dumped the grey water. Was on the road - the Blue Ridge Parkway - by 10 AM.

This section of the Parkway - from Asheville to the Oconaluftee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - is by far its most scenic section. There are many beautiful overlooks as the road winds to the crest at 6050'.

The Parkway connects with the Great Smoky Mountains park road. The drive through the park (Newfound Gap Road) was disappointing - bumper to bumper traffic. Enjoyed it more on previous trips. Made a left turn at the Sugarland Visitors Center on to Little River Road. This road goes by the Elkmont Camground, where I stayed last year, and leads to the Laurel Creek Road - the way to Cades Cove. Took Parson Branch Road, an unimproved dirt road (definitely not suitable for trailers or anything bigger than a van) to SR 129, the Natahala National Forest, and the Natahala Gorge to Topton, and then US 19 to Murphy.

Between Marble and Murphy is the Creekside RV Park, my planned destination for the day. It's a small, adults-only camground - very neat and clean, a spotless bathhouse, and a friendly host. The sites are a bit close together and US 19 traffic noise is quite audible, but in view of full hook-ups (water, electric, sewer, cable TV) and the spotless bathhouse I didn't mind the $22 fee. Good Sam members get a discount.

It was very hot today - the temperature climbed into the high nineties. It was still 89F when I set up at 5 PM. Sure wish I had a 110VAC air conditioner. Drove 205 miles and was on the road for 7 hours.

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